Community Service

Recruiting website videos

Student-athletes from all of Illinois' 19 sports, knows the importance of giving back to the community. Through a program called "Hometown Heroes", the Illini student-athletes have the opportunity to participate in many different community service activities. The program is organized through Academic Services and works with a number of groups in the Champaign-Urbana area. The following is a list of all the regular events at which you will find Illinois student-athletes:

Angel Tree Project

Each Illini athletic team purchases gift cards during the holidays for kids on the waiting list of our Big Brother Big Sister organization.

Adopt-A-School program

The Adopt-A-School program is a joint partnership with Champaign and Urbana Elementary and Middle Schools through their One-to-One Mentoring Program. Individual student-athletes or entire teams make regular visits to their assigned adopted school to read, play and interact with students.

After School Programs

Visits to after school programs at both Champaign and Urbana Elementary Schools are scheduled throughout the year.

Big Brothers Big Sisters

Each year, Illini student-athletes, led by the women's tennis team, host a holiday party and provide presents for kids in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. The kids play games and make crafts with student-athletes and receive their presents from Santa.

Challenger Baseball League

Young people with various disabilities from the Challenger Baseball League attend various athletic events and have the opportunity to meet Fighting Illini student-athletes.

Crisis Nursery

Each year, Illini student-athletes volunteer their time at the Crisis Nursery Holiday Shop assisting young shoppers in purchasing presents. Football players also visited the Crisis Nursery facility to interact with the youngsters onsite.

Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club

Students-athletes visit the local Boys and Girls Club to play games and talk with local kids who take part in their activities.

Eastern Illinois Food for Families Drive

Student-athletes from various athletic teams man collection stations around Memorial Stadium on a football game day accepting canned good donations from Illini fans on their way into the stadium for the game.

Girl Scouts

Hospital Visits

Illini student-athletes make regular trips to Carle Foundation Hospital to visit with kids in the Pediatric Oncology Center as well as on the pediatric floor.

Illini Leadership Academy Summit

Student-athletes in the Illini Leadership Academy organized a free leadership summit for local 7th and 8th grade students to share some of their knowledge on how to be effective leaders.

National Walk to School Event

Illini student-athletes team up with students, parents and staff at various Champaign and Urbana elementary schools to promote the importance of increasing physical activity among our youth while creating safer routes for children to walk and bike.

Nursing Home Visits

Illini student-athletes are given opportunities each semester to visit senior citizens in local nursing homes and assisted living facilities. During these trips, student-athletes may play bingo, do crafts, play games or just visit with the residents.

Reading Illini

This outreach program puts our student-athletes in a position where they can promote the importance of literacy to young people. Student-athletes work with elementary school students one-on-one or in small groups, reading books or playing word games in an effort to help children improve their reading skills and vocabulary. They have also participated in Family Reading nights at local elementary schools and the annual Read Across America event held in our community.

Salvation Army Thrift Store

Teams volunteer their time sorting through clothing donations and assisting the staff in organizing donations to be available in the thrift store.

Special Spectators

Fighting Illini student-athletes partner each year with the non-profit organization, Special Spectators, to bring children undergoing treatment in the Carle Hospital Oncology Center to a U of I football game. During the week leading up to the game, football players visit the children at the hospital. On game day, student-athletes from other sports visit with the kids at a tailgate party held in their honor.

Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Canned Food Drive

SAAC annually accepts canned goods from fans supporting that weekend's spring football game, men's tennis match and softball games. All the donated items were given to the Eastern Illinois Food Bank.

SAAC Campus Clean Up

Every April, SAAC assigns each intercollegiate athletic team an area of campus to beautify. SAAC reps organize their teams in helping to do their part to spruce up our campus.

SAAC Clothing Drive

Each November, SAAC organizes a clothing drive and donates all clothing collected to a local shelter.

Warm-A-Kid Foundation Clothing Drive

Student-athletes collect donations of hats, gloves, mittens, scarves and coats from Illini fans attending a women's basketball game with all clothing going to the Warm-A-Kid Foundation.

Will-TV Ready to Learn Program

Student-athletes participate with other volunteers from the community in a monthly book mentor program visiting local Head Start classrooms to read a book and do a related activity with the children. Each child in the program receives a copy of the book to take home, so by the end of the school year, they have a home library of at least nine books.